I Got Your Back, You Got Mine
by Laifan
Summary: Kotetsu tries to comfort Bunny  after episode 18: spoiler warning.  Somehow that involves late night booze and revelations in dimly lit kitchens. No pairings.


_**You Got My Back, I Got Yours**_

Kotetsu sighed as he closed the door and looked around his neat apartment – his itoo/i neat apartment. Figures it would take him boxing all his belongings for it to finally resembling anything close to order, after years of living in the sparse lonely place. The middle aged man flung his ever present hat down on the small table in front of the couch before he sank himself on the soft cushions, staring woefully at the ceiling, his gaze lost on the lazy fan spinning endlessly.

"I still couldn't tell him…" He muttered aloud, berating himself yet again. But how could he have broken such news to his partner when he was yet again suffering for his tragic past? Sure, his daughter was important – even more so now that she was starting to develop powers of her own. '_Hah! That's my girl!'_– a part of his subconscious provided – but he couldn't act like a heartless bastard towards Bunny. God knew that kid had suffered enough to last him the rest of his life.

"But still..." The brunet sighed, running a hand over his hair absent mindedly. "I wonder if it was okay to leave him like that..." His eyes fell on his cell phone and he picked it up, pressing the first number on speed dial. Immediately he was met with the drone voice of the answering tone. Disconnected, huh? Well, it _was_ rather late but somehow he knew the owner wasn't getting any rest tonight.

"Well, that's decided then!" Against any better judgment (since when had he had any, really) he picked up his hat and jacket and headed outside the awfully composed apartment. The drive to the younger man's home was done mostly in auto-pilot while his mind chewed him out for not thinking things through (in a voice that remarkably sounded like his mom's) and how was he going to comfort him towards such a hard notion that his parents hadn't been avenged yet? Luckily, he'd found answer for that in the local supermarket in the form of canned beer. Sure, it might not help much to get him to forget his problems but he should at least lose some of that tension. And on the plus side this time they didn't have a baby to look after (not that that had stopped them from getting properly smashed.)

Luckily, the night vigilante was used to the hectic hours of his tenants and Kotetsu was a familiar face so he got no problems walking in. He took the lift to his partner's floor. As an afterthought of how odd this might look – suggesting a sudden late night booze party with no prior warning - he adjusted his tie and hat as he rang the door bell. The scarce minutes before footsteps shuffled to the entrance were proof enough that Bunny hadn't, indeed been resting. And if he had any doubts, looking at his face as the door opened would have dispelled them. If he hadn't known any better, he would think the youth hadn't had any proper rest in weeks, going by his pale conception and the dark rings under his eyes.

"Bunny? You look like hell." And he immediately winced at his lack of brain-to-mouth filter because it was impolite enough to come by someone else's house in the middle of the night without being invited. But the fact Bunny didn't promptly shut the door on his face spoke volumes as to how far their friendship had developed. The bespectacled blonde only gave him a mildly annoyed glare, not seeming the least surprised the older man was standing at his doorstep at dead hours of the night spouting whatever came to mind.

"Did you want anything?" He asked blandly as he stepped aside to let him in. As a way of peace offering Kotetsu merely smiled apologetically and waved the bag of drinks a bit - which got him a raised eyebrow for his efforts.

"Ah just...I was just passing by and figured you might want some company, ya know?" Yeah, right. As if he didn't know Barnaby enough to know his social appetencies were in level with his very dubious fashion sense (seriously, what was it with the red?) But, apparently, the unsocial man was even quieter tonight as he just spared him a glance and pointed him in direction of the kitchen, following him in - as the last thing he needed was having the disaster prone man wandering alone in his apartment at night and poking his nose where it didn't belong.

The stern awkward silence wasn't missed by the ditzy tiger and, as usual, his mouth worked on auto-pilot to fill it in as he took out two glasses from the cupboard and set everything down on the small kitchen table.

"So, ah, I'd told you how Kaede is developing powers, right?" Well, crap, apparently his mind was against the notion of 'safe topics'. "Apparently she's breaking the house down and my mother is a bit afflicted, naturally. Heh I must say I also had my fair share of accidents when I first got my powers. What about you? I can't imagine such a well behaved kid ever breaking anything by accident or not-"

"You're quitting being a Hero for good, aren't you?" The blonde muttered steadily, his gaze following a single drop of condensed water on his glass.

"Wha- woah-to-to" His quick reflexes as a Hero (along with a bit of juggling) successfully saved Kotetsu's beer can from slipping to the floor and ruining the perfect whiteness of Barnaby's kitchen floor. He struggled to get a proper hold on the can and set it on the table, getting a rag to wipe the half spilled liquid, quietly.

"How did you know what I've been trying to tell you?" His eyes narrowed as he worried a small spot on the corner of the table with his fingernail.

"It doesn't take long to be able to read you, Kotetsu-san. With your daughter developing her own powers it's only natural you want to be by her side constantly. No father should miss out on their children's lives." The tired blue gaze didn't leave the untouched glass lit by the appliances' phantom light.

"Heheh so I'm that predictable, huh?" The brunet grimaced, throwing the dirty rag on the sink, clutching the edge with his hands, like a lifeline.

"I still haven't told you the whole reason, though. It's true I'm worried about Kaede and I want to be by her side, want to see her grow up into a beauty." He couldn't help the genuine proud smile on his face. "But the truth is..." His fingers tightened their hold a bit and he finally gathered the courage to turn around.

"The truth is my own powers are receding." He faced the troubled gaze of the blonde, now that he had raised his eyes to look at him. "I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's old age finally catching up?" His jovial nature had to make a remark there, somehow, as this situation was becoming increasingly dramatic. Dammit, he had come here to cheer Bunny up - how had it turned out like this?

"I...see. Isn't there a way to...but, wait, I thought your powers had been augmented lately?" He was grasping at straws now. But how could this happen to Kotetsu now? Being a Hero was everything to him. But now he wanted to be with his daughter and he couldn't blame him for that. Parents and children should be together. He tried to squash the sudden tightness in his chest.

"Apparently, it happens before you lose your powers. I think the same happened to Legend" He eased down on the chair opposite to the younger man, taking a large swig from his beer. "I've been meaning to tell you ever since I got back. But I won't leave you like this, Bunny. Before I retire for good I'm helping you find out the true culprit behind your parents' death." He looked at him earnestly, his eyes carrying the impossible honesty that was true to his character.

It was the blonde's turn to rise from his seat, carrying his glass to the sink, turning the water on.

"Do not be a fool. Your daughter needs you right now and you already missed out too many years of her life. Children should grow with their parents, nurtured and protected by them." He watched solemnly as the amber liquid slipped down the drain. "There is nothing you can do regarding my parents. It's my busin-"

The sudden clatter from the table had him startle in place and he turned around to regard a wild tiger, hand still clutched into a fist against the table. The older man advanced on him and, had he been anything but a collected renamed Hero, he would have flinched at the sudden hand narrowly missing the side of his head and connecting with the cool tiled wall.

"Stop screwing around like this, Bunny!" An off side of him finds it mildly amusing how Kotetsu doesn't drop that ridiculous nickname even at dire times like this. "Of course it's my business too! You and I are partners. We're always there for each other!" The small venting seemed to have suddenly sagged the strength from the other man and he weaved a weary sigh, head lowering a bit.

"I know it's sudden and...I'm being selfish for laying this out on you right now but…trust me a bit? We've been through so much and I'll be damned if I will leave you like this. I'd probably worry to death."

"Kotetsu-san…" The blonde sighed, feeling much too tired to argue with his impossibly hard headed partner. "I am grateful for your concern but-" He was stopped from speaking his mind once again by a mild pain on his face made known by calloused fingers. Was the insufferable tiger...pinching his cheeks? The utter bafflement must have registered in his features because the older man smiled.

"Well, finally I get a reaction out of you. Seriously, you've been acting like an automaton and I refuse to leave you like this. So no arguing, hear me? We got each other's backs."

He stepped away from the tired blonde, who started rubbing some feeling back into his smooth cheeks, indignant surprise giving place to soft amusement for the dorky older man. He glanced at the extended hand closed in a fist and shook his head.

"Apparently I don't get a choice in the matter. Very well, then. It appears I will have to put up with you for longer." He said as he briefly met said closed fist with his own, picking up Kotetsu's beer can and walking out to the dimly lit hallway.

The other man just grinned.

"Damn right. Hey, what?"

THE END

**Author Notes:** So, were the characters IC? I imagine Kotetsu speaks aloud to himself often (he seems the type.) Bunny wasn't very agreeable to the whole thing. I just wanted a different outcome for him than another mental breakdown (as the preview for episode 19 showed.)


End file.
